Process of printing floor covering



Oct. '14, 1930. N. L. CAMPBELL 1,778,353

' INVENTOR. w 0 W l BY A TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEIL I. CAMPBELL, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MANNINGTON MILLS, INC., OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PROCESS OF PRINTING FLOOR COVERING Application filed February 6, 1930. Serial No. 426,213.

My invention relates to methods of forming jaspe effects by means of block printing on floor covering, such as, for example, felt base floor covering.

In my United States Letters Patent No. 1,728,101, dated Sept. 10, 1929, I have described a method of forming j aspe effects by means of imprinted lines which are blended in a subsequent step by means of applicators of several kinds. Such a jaspe effect, if it is to be used for relatively small panels or figures, is not best adapted to the highest grade of paint surfaced floor covering because of the fact that the designs forming the panel will have to be superimposed upon the original jaspe base coat, and because the rest of the design of the piece of floor covering will have to be printed over the base jaspe coat,

with the result of giving an uneven and somewhat modified color effect.

My present process is directed to a method of forming panel like designs in jaspe effect, without the use of any applicators for blending the lines of color, and without in any way interfering with the remainder of the design of the printed piece. The jaspe panels of my present process are capable of being formed with the highest type of paints, and will possess the qualities and give'the smooth, high finish aspects of the best floor coverings. By panels I mean any shape or design of figure having an exposed area bounded by other designs, or some suitable boundary.

I accomplish my objects by that certain series of steps of which the preferred form will be specifically described as illustrating the best method now known to me of following my process, and the appended claims will set forth the novelty inherent in my process.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in which attempt has been made to illustrate a panel of jaspe effect which is produced by my' process. 7

Figure 2 is a diagram of a floor covering printing machine of standard type, upon which my process can be practiced.

that the lines 1 are intended to have a certain shade of color imprinted upon the web, the lines 2 are intended to have a different shade of the same color, the lines 3 are intended to have a shade of color which is substantially the same as that of the ground coat of the panel, and finally, the lines 4: are intended to indicate exposed lines of the ground coat of the panel.

While there will be permissible variations over the particular arrangement shown in Figure 1, and these will be dealt with as the description continues, the form of Figure l is the best and most likely tobe perfect of the several modifications lying within the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the machine itself, the usual bed 5, along which the pin belts ordinarily employed in floor covering printing machines will pass, has located above it a series of printing blocks 6, which are periodically lowered to contact with a web of floor covering passing over the table in intermittent steps. The paint carriages 7, as in the usual machine, move to and fro beneath the blocks when the latter are elevated between printing steps.

In my preferred series of steps, referring now to Figure 3, the first print blocks in the series used to form my aspe panels will have raised printing surfaces thereon, designed to form solid color panels 8. Such solid color panels are usually formed by means of proj ections on the blocks with small curfs formed in the projections, the result of applying paint to the projections being to cover the entire contacted surface with the color.

The second printing block will have formed thereon, in registry with the solid color imprints, ribs, ridges, or fins, extending generally in the longitudinal direction of feed of the web over the machine, with the ribs interspaced preferably in a haphazard manner. The color used for this block will preferably he-a shade of the same color as the first or solid imprint, or one which so blends with this color as to avoid striking effects to the eye. The imprint 9 of the printing surfaces on the second block will usually be such that the lines extend to the edges of the solid pattern upon which they are impressed.

- this promotes a blending effect.

The imprint of the third block, again in registry withthe preceding ones, will be one of lines which fall between lines imprinted by the second block. This imprint, as indicated at 10, will partially fill the spaces between the lines of the first imprint, and where the lines of the second imprint are adjacent the lines of the second imprint, it will be best to have the size or location ofthe ribs suchas to cause the paint in the former and latter lines, to interflow. The pigment used in the third printing will be of .a shade of the same color or color scheme used.

The imprint of the fourth block, as indicated at 11, .will be like the other blocks so far as the direction and extent of the lines are concerned, but the ribs of the block are so located and arranged as to fill the spaces left between the other blocks. Again the slight overlapping relation noted with respect to the second and third blocks, will be preferred.

Since the paint is in a condition of some flow while all of the imprints are being made, and since all imprints extend substantially throughout the length of the panel being printed, the resulting effect will be the jaspe effect shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the number of blocks printing lines upon the solid panel, this may be limited to two only, but I prefer three, and in one of the three I prefer to have the color imprinted in lines to be the same color as that of the ground panel.

The reason for the solid panel is not so much to provide for one set of the blended lines, but toprovide for the failure of some of the lines to blend. Even in the most carefully cut printing blocks, the wood will shrink and expand, due to atmospheric conditions, and registry in lines is hard to retain permanently throughout the useful life of a printing block. Accordingly, the ground or solid coat for the panels will act to fill in any such lines. As pointed out, also, the solid coat being in condition of flow, will assist in the blending of the several lines with each other. V

Where but two sets of lines are printed, then the solid coat may be used to supply a substantial part of the jaspe effect, but this results in too much of an overlap of the other lines, and is not entirely desirable, although the effect is good and novel over anything familiar to me.

Where the blocks are new, and the pigment is in the correct'condition, the solid imprints may be omitted, and the lines of paint applied will still cover the entire panel, and give the desired j aspe effect.

a series of patterns of lines of Where the solid panel imprint is used, it is preferred to have one of the sets of lines of about the same shade or exactly the same shade as the solid color.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A method of forming j aspe efi'ect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which consists in applying by means of print blocks, a series of patterns of lines of paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one a set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover the entire panel, the paint being in condition to flow durmg the several applications, whereby the lines will blend.

2. A method of forming jaspe efi'ect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which consists in applying-by means of print blocks, paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover the entire panel, the paint being in condition to flow during the several applications, whereby the'lines will blend, said lines in every case extending in a' direction longitudinal of the web being printed, and also extending from one end of the panel design to the other, so as to leave 0 portion without an imprint of each of the mes.

3. A method of forming jaspe effect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which Y consists in applying by means of rint blocks, a series of patterns of lines o paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover theentire panel,'the paint being in condition to flow during the several applications, whereby the lines will blend, said lines in every case extending in the same general direction, and the paint employed being different shades of the same or similar color.

4. method of forming jaspe eflect panels on printed floor covering and the like, whiclf consists in applying by means of print blocks,

the several applications, whereby the lines will blend.

5. A method of forming jaspe efiect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which consists in applying by means of print blocks, solid color paint areas for such panels, and then applying in registry with said solid color panel and in registry with each other, a series of patterns of lines of color paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover substantially the entire anel, said paint being in condition of flow uring the several applications, whereby the lines will blend, said lines in every case extending in a direction longitudinal of the web being printed, and also extendin from one end of the panel design to the ot er, so as to leave no portion without an imprint of each of the lines or an exposed line formed by the solid color.

6. A method of forming aspe efi'ect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which consists in applying by means of print blocks solid color paint areas for such panels, an then applying in registry with said solid color panel and in registry with each other, a series of patterns of lines of color paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover substantially the entire anel,

. said paint being in condition of flow uring the several applications, whereby the lines will blend, said lines in every case extending in the same general direction, and the paint employed being different shades of the same or similar color, one of the sets of lines being of substantially the same color as the solid color.

7. A method of forming jaspe effect panels on printed floor covering and the like, which consists in applying by means of print blocks solid color paint areas for such then applying in registry with sai solid color panel and in registry with each other, a series of patterns of lines of color paint, said lines so arranged that the margins of one set of lines overlie slightly the margins of others so as to cover substantially the entire panel, said paint being in condition of flow during the several applications, whereby the lines will blend, said lines in every case extending in a direction longitudinal of the web being printed, and also extending from one end of the panel design to the other, so as to leave no portion without an im rint of each of the lines or an exposed line ormed by the solid color, and the paint used in the several imprints being of different shades of the same or substantially the same color.

NEIL L. CAMPBELL.

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